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Tuesday, March 6, 2018

San Diego based apartment developer Fairfield Residential is planning a new 245-unit apartment project just off I-285, on Northlake Parkway. The proposed redevelopment is scheduled to go before the Tucker Planning Commission Thursday, April 26. The project would be developed on 8.65 acres at 2180 and 2200 Northlake Parkway currently occupied by the largely vacant Northlake Quadrangle shopping center as well as the extended stay Northlake Inn motel.

Fairfield submitted its redevelopment plans to the City of Tucker last week including its application for a Special Land Use Permit (SLUP) to construct its apartment community with up to 30 units per acre. The plans indicate that Fairfield was previously granted a SLUP for a mixed-use development at the site early last year but for a parcel that was at that time smaller than it is now thanks to the acquisition of an adjacent 1.65 acre parcel.

"The subject property is located in an area that has seen tremendous growth and redevelopment," Fairfield's application notes. The planned development is across the street from Tucker Meridian, a large multi-anchor shopping center that opened last year on the site of a former low-rise office park. Tucker Meridian is anchored by Sprouts Farmers Market, Dick's Sporting Goods, DSW & Hobby Lobby and is also home to Newk's Eatery, Hollywood Feed, Nothing Bundt Cakes and Jimmy Johns, among others.

The former Steak & Ale that was demolished in January

Adjacent to the proposed redevelopment, at 2150 Northlake Parkway, a onetime Steak & Ale restaurant was demolished in January to make way for a new senior housing development. Northlake Mall, once the primary magnet in the Northlake commercial corridor, was purchased by Dallas, Texas -based ATR Corinth Partners in 2016. ToNeTo Atlanta spoke with ATR President Tony Ruggeri last month who indicated he had no announcements to make but hoped to have news to share "later this year."

Apartments would occupy about 6.6 acres of the planned redevelopment, while the last remaining Old Hickory House restaurant would continue to operate on an approximately one acre parcel. A 10,000 square foot commercial building, that plans show may feature office, restaurant, or retail tenants, would occupy a roughly one acre parcel.

The apartments would be in three, four-story buildings with a mixture of surface and deck parking. "The vast majority of anticipated residents will be young professionals without children and empty nesters," according to Fairfield's submission. To that end, approximately 65% of the units will be one-bedroom units. No pricing for the units was disclosed.

Fairfield, which has regional offices in Atlanta, has communities in 35 markets across the country, including four in metro Atlanta: The Prato @ Midtown and Morgan Place in Atlanta, 1160 Hammond in Sandy Springs and Colton Creek in McDonough. Fairfield, then known as Associated Estates Realty Corporation, purchased 1160 Hammond in 2015 and purchased Colton Creek in 2017.

Are you pleased to see so much redevelopment interest in Tucker? What has been your favorite opening in Tucker in the past couple of years? Do you think anything will happen to Northlake Tower Festival anytime soon?

Please share your thoughts below.

CLARIFICATION 3/7 - 7pm: To be clear, the proposal was previously approved in February 2017 for 210 units and in reality Fairfield is only seeking to add 35 more units as well as the 10,000 square foot multi-use building.

9 comments:

Ham
said...

I suppose redevelopment of any kind for that center is good and designing the apartments to limit families may keep the Section 8 crowd out. However, I wonder how three or four story apartment residents will tolerate a barbecue restaurant smoke stack.

I think that townhouses instead of apartments would have been a better way to go. Dunwoody, particularly in the Georgetown area, has been doing more townhouses in areas that seemed like they were destined for apartments. I think it just leads to more residents that feel vested in the community.

The parcel is not really big enough to do a townhouse project that would be profitable for the builder. And they are for a whole different demographic. It is only 8 acres and even at 6 per acre, there would only be 48 TH. The overall tax base on the apartment buildings is likely higher too. Plus it brings in 245 individuals or couples into the sales tax base.

Your question asks about Northlake Tower Festival. The shopping area has some amount of vacant space and is currently listed for sale on LoopNet. The City of Tucker has given some consideration to this area in their comprehensive land use planning process.

Today's apartments are future subsidized housing, with 4 people per bedroom and living spaces. Let's not forget the inevitable fire (a permanent local news segment) that destroys an entire building of one of these 30 years past so-named "luxury" apartments.